[ 2017-01-20 ]

Tullow to shut down gas export to Atuabo for two weeks
Tullow Ghana Limited, operators of Ghana’s main
oil and gas exploration field, plans to begin a
15-day shutdown of operations at its offshore
Jubilee Oil Field from February 3, 2017.


The shutdown is to enable works on
inter-connection between the Tweneboa, Enyenra,
Ntomme (TEN) fields and the Jubilee Field for gas
exportation from the FPSO Atta Mills.

The interconnection between Ghana’s first and
second operating oil and gas fields will enable
evacuation and export of additional natural gas
from the TEN fields through the 58-km offshore
pipeline of the Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana
Gas) to its onshore Atuabo Gas Processing
Plant. 


The shutdown will lead to immediate curtailment of
production and export of natural gas from the FPSO
Kwame Nkrumah to Atuabo and subsequent curtailment
of lean gas from Atuabo to the Aboadze Thermal
Enclave, which presently relies on gas from Ghana
Gas to generate electricity.


Aboadze has been relying on Atuabo since November
2014 to supply lean gas to generate electricity
from its thermal plants and there are fears that
the inter-connection exercise could result in
“dumsor” within the period.


Corporate Communications Manager of Ghana Gas, Mr
Alfred Ogbamey, is, however, hopeful that
‘dumsor’ will be averted.


According to him, Tullow informed Ghana Gas of the
shutdown months ago, as a result of which Ghana
Gas has informed its stakeholders and industry
partners to plan for the tie-in period.


“All stakeholders and partners along the gas
production value chain have been informed and
prepped for this. We anticipate that other
stakeholders and the VRA, which has long been
aware of this and captured it in their 2017 gas
forecast, have put in place adequate measures to
avert the consequential effect of the TEN
inter-connection.”


He said Tullow’s interconnection is essential to
create a corridor from TEN to evacuate and bring
additional natural gas on-stream to generate
power. It would also enable the TEN fields to be
linked to the Jubilee Field and Ghana Gas Offshore
Pipeline, he said.


He admits, however, that the nation could face
serious challenges within the period. “There’s
a snag. VRA is presently unable to offtake their
nominated volumes. Tullow and Ghana Gas have been
ready to supply Aboadze with 90 million standard
cubic feet of gas a day for a while, but
Aboadze’s TAPCO plants are out for maintenance.
This has reduced VRA’s lean gas offtake since
January.”

Mr Ogbamey said though Tullow has indicated that
the exercise will take 15 days, Ghana Gas has
projected 18 days for the exercise to allow for
exigencies should they arise.


He said Ghana Gas will take advantage of the
curtailment in gas supply to also interconnect its
installed second De-ethenized Overhead Compressor
at Atuabo.


“That will ensure that Atuabo will operate
continuously without the need for 4000-hours
scheduled maintenance disruptions. When one
compressor has to be serviced after 4000 hours of
operation, we’d now be able to switch onto the
other and carry out works without halting
production.”


Oil production began on the TEN fields through the
FPSO Atta Mills in August 2016, with gas
production projected for February 2017.

Similar to Jubilee, development of TEN includes
the use of an FPSO, which will be tied in
to infrastructure across the field.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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